2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Primera prueba de cuatro cilindros: más rápido que algunos V-6s

Your preconceptions about this truck are wrong, OK? The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 proves that four-cylinder engines can make sense in 5,000-pound full-size trucks. After extensive real-world and track testing, we can tell you exactly where the 2020 Silverado 1500 RST and its 2.7-liter turbo-four fit into the truck world.

For all the engine downsizing we’ve seen over the years, a four-cylinder full-size truck has remained unexplored territory in the modern age—until now. Chevy‘s 2.7-liter turbo-four’s specs make it look like the V-6 competitor it is, but with one key advantage: The 310-hp 2.7-liter engine has 348 lb-ft of torque available from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, so you don’t have to work it hard to get a response. And unlike some experiences we’ve had with the Silverado 1500 and its 5.3-liter V-8, the 2.7-liter I-4’s eight-speed automatic is responsive. Very little gear hunting is required, and partially as a result, the cabin might seem quieter than you’d expect.

Those who do will find an improved truck. It’s still not class-leading, but Chevy loyalists will be slightly happier with the 2020 model. From road test editor Chris Walton: «It drives like a pickup, but better. It heaves over bumps as a single unit, but settles. It’s quiet even with big crosswinds. The steering is medium/light but precise. Brake pedal is medium/light but progressive.»

Fuel economy is a glass-half-empty/glass-half-full situation. Against the six-cylinder Ram 1500, our 2019 Truck of the Year, the Silverado 2.7 is slightly less efficient (19-20/22-23 for the Chevy, 19-20/24-25 for the Ram). If you were comparing the Silverado 2.7 to the 4.3- and 5.3-liter Silverado engines, you’d get better fuel economy with the 2.7 and spend more miles on the road before needing to refuel.

That’s a great advantage, but the 2020 Silverado 2.7’s value quotient depends on the trim you’re considering. You’ll find the 2.7-liter engine as an option on the WT, Custom, LT, and RST trims. On those first two entry-level trucks, the 2.7-liter turbo-four is a premium of over €1,000 above the 4.3-liter V-6 and just about even with the 5.3-liter V-8. Move to the LT or RST trims, however, and that four-cylinder engine could save you €1,395. Go for the four-cylinder Silverado, and towing capacity is 6,600-7,000 pounds, down from the 5.3-liter V-8’s 9,400-11,600 pounds. This all assumes you’re only considering the Silverado.

Widen the search beyond the Silverado, and that Ram 1500 looks mighty tempting. Just one year after its full redesign, we’re still unimpressed by the 2020 Silverado’s interior, which was panned at 2020 Truck of the Year testing for uncomfortable front seats, uninspiring interior materials, and what struck some editors as a generally ordinary design compared to the Ram at similar equipment levels. That Ram rides well (with or without the available air suspension), has similar fuel economy, and performs better in IIHS safety tests. Clearly, we’re still fans of the overall Ram 1500 lineup, but if your new truck search starts and ends with the Silverado, consider the 2.7 before you sign for a Silverado 5.3.

Senior features editor Jonny Lieberman encapsulates our feelings on the Silverado 1500 2.7 and excellent Duramax diesel: «[These are] perfectly ordinary trucks with great powertrains.»

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